Tubular spoke and method of making the same



Juy 27 1926. 1,594,189

H. P. ARNT rTUBULAR SPOKE ANDHMETHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed April 411,1923 3 sheets-sheet 1 f7.6. MW. fia /X.

/fvvE/v Tae July 27,1926.. 1,594,189

. .H. P. ARNT TUBULAR SPOKE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed April1l. 1923 5 Sheng-Sheet 2 All lmr. Z5

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H. P. ARNT TUBULAR SPOKE 'AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed April l1,1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 QV//fff Patented July 27, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERALD r. ARNm, OF LAKEWOOD, OHIO, AssIGNoR'or ONE-FOURTH To crm'r B.

MULLER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

TUBULAR SPOKE AND METHOD 0F MAKING SAME.

Application led April 11, 1923. Serial No. 631,326.

'My invention relates to the method of making a tubular spoke and moreparticularly the method of making a wheel spoke of two complementalseparately drawn parts adapted to be welded end to end.

I arnlwell aware that a great variety of tubular parts have been drawnand doubtless welded together in many ways, but believe I am the firstto have developed a feasible-method of so constructing a tubular wheelspoke. Tubular wheel spokes arer the spoke as a single complementa]piece.

The drawings exemplify the nave end of keystone formation and thejunction line at a shoulder formed at the larger end of the nave iece,while the outer smaller end of the Ot er spoke piece is to be leftclosed for' the purpose of supplying added strength when attached to afelloe.

Adverting to the drawings, in which sheet 1 illustrates the Successivesteps of drawing the outer end of the spoke, sheet 2 illustrates thesuccessive steps of drawing the nave end of the spoke and sheet 3illustrates a welding mechanism together with the spoke parts as firstattached and in finished form.

Figures I and II are a plan and an end view respectively 'of a drawingsteel blank.

Figures III to XI inclusive show in sequential order the successivesteps according to which the blank maybe drawn to the desired form.

Figures XII and XIII are a plan view and a side view respectively of adrawing steel `blank somewhat thinner suited to enable protection of thenave end of the spoke. l Figures XIV to .XIXl inclusive show .insequential order a series of steps according to which the blank evolvesto the desired sha .4

lxigrure 'XX is aside view partly 1n section of`the essentiall parts(jaws and operv atin link) of a welding machine.

Figure XXI `is an elevation of the two spoke parts at the completion ofthe welding operation. v

Figure XXII is a view corresponding to Figure XXI showing the weldingscar ground off.

A drawing steel blank 1 shown in" Figures I'and II may first haveimparted to 1t a shape shown in FigureIII to comprise a curved bottom 2and raised side 3 to be of cup-shaped or concavo-convex form.l It shouldbe understood that the several views showing' the sequential drawingsteps are not necessarily all the result of vdistinct drawingOperations, the seven shown on sheet 1 and the six shown on sheet2'being merely arbitrarily selected to disclose the evolution. Nexttheblank is further drawn so that the walls 4 become lengthened as shown inFigure IV thereafter the dimension of the closed end is constricted asshown in Figure V from which rise still thinner` walls 5 with a iaredmouth| 6. Next, the closed end 7 is further thinned and constrictedowing to the drawing out of the walls 8 which terminate ina flaredextrem- 4 ity 9. Thereafter a similar'progression of the drawingoperation causes the blank to assume the shape shown in Figure VII withthe bottom 10, walls 11l `and flared end 12. In Figure VIII the closedend of the blank is curved at 13 and has an interjacent section 14merging with a flare 15 which terminates in a straightened or nearcylindrical section 16. -Then the blank may be considered to haveimparted to -it the indented closed end 17 merging at a shouldei` 18with the main tubular section or body portion 19 terminating at 20.Figure X shows the closed end 21 having its end wall. 22 .again squaredwhile the main tubular portion 23 remains of substantially the sameshape preparatory to having its Open end cut'oif around a line 24 asappears in the finished outer spoke section illustrated in Figure XI. A

Directing attention to sheet 2, which contains Figures XII to XIXinclusive, a blank 25 is 'first drawn to the shapeof a shallow cuphaving a bottom ,26, sides 27 which terminate4 in a lip Han e 28. Nextthe blank is progressively drawn further so as to thin the bottom. 29and lengthen the sides as shown in Figure XV, then to further thin thebottom 31 and incidentally reduce its area besides further lengtheningthe sides 32'as appears in Figure XVI. Thereafter, a correspondingevolution occurs to obtain the smaller and 4thinner bottom or end wall33. and longer and thinner sides 34 as appears in Figure XVII. Asemi-cylindrical indentation 35 may next be imparted as shown in FigureXVIH, following which the open end flange 23 is cut olf at 35 and theclosed end 33 has a hole .37 punched out to serve the purpose of a linkAll so as to lirmly grasp the sidewalls 34 of the nave end section andcause its 4larger end along the line36 to abut and conform to the line24 preparatory to throwing on the current and edecting a weld at 42causing the weld burr 43 which is shown in Figure XXI Finally, theexterior portion of the lourr i3 may he ground od as appears in thefinished spoke seen in Figure XXII.

l claim 1. As a new article of manufacture, a spoke composed of twointegrally drawn and welded tubular end sections, one section being ofrustro-wedge shaped formation and the open end of the other Flaredl sothat its edge conforms to the open end ot the frustrowedge shapedsection.

2. As a new article or manufacture, a .spoke comprising two end sectionsintegrally drawn oit sheet metal and said two end sections being each oftubular form with crosswise abutting edges electrically welded together,one section hein@ of key-stone formation and lthe free end cip the othersection heing closed.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a spoke integrally formed of sheetmetal and composed of an elongated tubular body section and including anend wall and a flat sided nave end section also ot tubular form anincluding an end wall the other pair of ends abutting and weldedtogether end to end and in a plane substantially parallel to the planesot said end Walls.

el. The method of making a tubular wheel@ spoke which consists inshaping integral tuhular ieces each provided with an end wall an thenwelding together the open ends of seid'pieces in a direction around thespoke.

Leeg-lee 5. The method of making a tubular wheel spoke which consists indrawing hollow op posite end pieces and then electrically weld ing themtogether end vto end along continuous abutting edges around the spoke.

6. As a new article of manufacture a spoke includingtwo sections weldedend to end and one comprising a closed end constantly integral.

7. The method of making a tubular metal spoke which consists inprogressively drawing out two blanks to tubular form whereby each has aconstantly integral end wall and then welding together the open ends ofthe two tubes.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a wheel spoke integrally formed ofmetal and composed of two complementary seamless end sections eachcup-shaped with conforming edges welded together, one section beingtruste-wedge shaped with one pair of substantially parallel rusto-wedgeshaped walls and another pair of walls diverging toward the weld line,the other section being defined by a generated surface, and the weldline extending around the spoke axis.

9. As a new article of manufacture, a wheel spoke integrally formed ofmetal and composed of two complementary seamless end sections eachcup-shaped with conforming edges weldes together, each section havingits remote end closed, one section being :truste-wedge shaped with one4pair 'of substantially parallel truste-wedge shaped walls and anotherpair of walls converging toward its .closed end from the weld line, theother section being 'defined by a conical surface and by a cylindricalsurface, and the weld line being in the cross-sectional plane ofgreatest area.

l0. The hereinhefore described process of forming a spoke from sheetmetal having a hollow frustro-wedge shaped nave end and a body portionprovided with an axial bore closed at one end and opening at' its otherend into the nave end, the body portion being mainly of less diameterand of greater length than the nave end, while having one edgeconforming in size and shape to one edge of the nave end, consisting inthe tollowing steps; (l) drawing a pair of blanks into cup-shapedshells; (2) elongating and ,reducing the diameter of one shell to themaximum diameter of the finished article; (3) elongating and reducingthe diameter' of the other shell to the desired frustro-wedge shapedform; and (l) welding together the 'complementari edge sections of thenave end and of the body portion,

ll. The hereinbeore described process of forming a spoke from sheetmetal having e hollow rustro-wedge shaped nave end and a lbody portionprovided with an axial bore closed at one end and opening at its other9ndlnto the nave end, the body portion belUO llO

Ving mainly of less diameter and of greater length than the nave end,While having one polygonal edge conforming in size and sha pe to acorresponding polygonal edge of the nave end, consisting in thefollowing steps; (l) drawing a pair of blanks into cup'- shaped shells;(2) elongating and reducing the diameter of one shell to the maximumdiameter of the finished article; (3) elon- 10 gating and reducing thediameter -of the other shell to the desired frust wedge shaped form; (4)providing a venting aperture in an end of one of the parts; and (5)Welding together the complemental polygonal edge sections of the naveend and of the body portion.

Signed by me, this 10th day of March, 1923.

HERALD P. ARNT.V

